Harriet Dart claimed her first WTA Tour title by defeating Austria’s Lilli Tagger in the final of the Guangzhou Open. The match concluded with Dart winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, after a hard-fought battle that showcased her resilience.
In the semi-finals, the 30-year-old British player saved three match points against China’s Sun Xinran, which propelled her to her first Tour-level final. Dart faced an early challenge in the final, dropping her serve in the opening game and needing to fend off a break point in her next service game before ultimately getting on the board.
After losing the first set, Dart managed to break Tagger’s serve to level the match in the second. The decisive third set was characterized by a series of breaks until Dart held her serve at 5-3, saving two break points during that critical game. Although she faced two championship points, Tagger’s powerful serve snuffed out the first, and Dart netted a mid-court forehand on the second. Nevertheless, she regrouped and served out the match decisively, finishing with an unreturned serve and collapsing to the court in celebration.
Following her victory, Dart expressed gratitude towards her support team, including her boyfriend Stephen Falck, fitness coach Dario, and coach Marion Bartoli, a former Wimbledon champion. “It’s amazing to play in front of such a big crowd. It’s been so much fun here and I really appreciate it and hope to be back next year,” Dart said on the court.
Dart’s win has catapulted her back into the WTA top 100, placing her at world No. 83, and should secure her a direct entry into the upcoming Australian Open, scheduled for January 11-31 at Melbourne Park. Her next competition will be the Chennai Open in India, where she will face Polina Kudermetova in the first round.
In a separate event, Russian player Diana Shnaider also celebrated a title victory at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, overcoming Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Shnaider, now on a six-match winning streak in finals, highlighted her triumph as significant for her season.
